Maine voters lean Democratic in presidential elections

Editor’s note: This report was updated Nov. 1.

STATE STATS

Voter makeup: As of July, Maine has 955,285 active, registered voters, out of its estimated voting age population of more than 1.1 million. Democrats number 341,070, and Republicans 283,591. As of 2024, Maine conducts semi-open primaries, so Maine’s 279,877 voters not enrolled with a particular party may choose to vote in one party’s primary in each election.

Voting: When registering to vote, voters fill out a form using a government-issued document or ID, or an ID from an approved institute of higher education. An official piece of mail, a bank statement or a paycheck with the voter’s name and address, a driver’s license number, or the last four digits of his Social Security number will also be accepted. Voters must also give evidence of their status as a resident of Maine, such as motor vehicle registration, residence address, or declaration of intent to reside at a specified Maine location.

In Maine, a 17-year-old may vote in the primary election if he or she will be 18 by the general election.

Registration by mail or online must be received 21 days before the election. Maine also allows same-day in-person voter registration at the polling place.

Any voter may make an absentee ballot request. The deadline to request an absentee ballot or vote in the presence of the clerk is 5 p.m. on the Thursday prior to the election. As of Feb. 2024, those who are at least 65 years old by the next election and have a self-identified disability may request to automatically receive an absentee ballot each election.

Maine diverges from traditional voting processes and uses the ranked-choice voting system for state legislative primaries and federal elections, including the presidential race. It was the first to use ranked choice voting in a presidential election in 2020. The state also employs the congressional district method in distributing electoral college votes, meaning that the winners of Maine’s two congressional districts receive that district’s electoral vote, and the winner of the state as a whole receives the remaining two.

PRESIDENTIAL

President Joe Biden, 81, received 60,018 of the 72,480 ballots cast in Maine’s Democratic presidential primary, carrying both congressional districts by a large majority. After he suspended his campaign, Maine’s delegates unanimously backed Vice President Kamala Harris as the party nominee instead. Former president Donald Trump, 78, received 79,034 of the 109,898 total Republican ballots cast. Nikki Haley, 52, followed with 27,912.

Democratic presidential candidates have prevailed in Maine’s popular vote over the last eight elections. Democrats received all the electoral votes between 1992 and 2012. In both 2016 and 2020, Trump took one of the four electoral votes.

U.S. SENATE

• David Costello won Maine’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary uncontested. Costello previously worked as deputy and acting secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment. He was also an interim climate and clean energy program director at the Natural Resources Council of Maine and has run two climate action projects. Costello outlines a plan for what he describes as reform within the federal government and elections, promoting expansion of the House of Representatives to include more than 600 members, simplification of the Constitutional amendment process, and abolition of the electoral college and U.S. Senate filibuster.

• Native Maine resident and daughter of Greek immigrants, Demi Kouzounas, 68, ran uncontested in the U.S. Senate Republican primary. She served with the U.S. Army in Germany during the Cold War, later practicing dentistry and training dental students. Kouzounas does not take a clear pro-life stance. In an interview with NEWS CENTER Maine, she described herself as generally in favor of choice, but she said that economic pressures should be addressed to help women choose life. She believes decisions about abortion should be evaluated at the state level.

• Independent incumbent Sen. Angus King, 80, has served in the U.S. Senate since 2013. King supports abortion and has worked to pass legislation that would codify Roe v. Wade standards into law. He sees himself as positioned to bridge the Republican-Democrat divide. Before running for the U.S. Senate, King worked as an attorney and served two terms from 1995-2003 as the independent governor of Maine.

U.S. HOUSE

Both of Maine’s congressional districts have elected Democratic representatives in the past three elections. Incumbent Rep. Chellie Pingree is expected to hold her seat against Republican challenger Ron Russell in District One. District Two is considered a toss-up between the Democratic incumbent Rep. Jared Golden and Republican state Rep. Austin Theriault.

District 1

• Democratic incumbent Rep. Chellie Pingree has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2009. She has often sponsored legislation in the House related to agriculture, conservation and the environment. She believes the United States must become carbon neutral by 2050. She has also co-sponsored bills promoting abortion access. Pingree co-sponsored the Judiciary Act that would have added four justices to the Supreme Court.

• Republican challenger Ron Russell served in the U.S. Army for 30 years, becoming an Airborne Ranger and a Special Forces qualified Green Beret. Russell advocates for lowering taxes to stimulate economic growth. Russell views open border policies as both an economic and a security threat. He also believes that the United States must reform its amnesty system to ensure it properly evaluates and screens those who wish to enter the country.

District 2

• Democratic incumbent Rep. Jared Golden served with the Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan and has represented Maine’s second congressional district since 2019. Before his election to the U.S. House, Golden worked in the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee as a policy advisor and served in the Maine state House. Golden has been vocal about his support for Israel and acknowledged a need for increased security at the U.S.-Mexico border. During his time in Congress, he supported the Inflation Reduction Act and U.S. involvement in the Paris Climate Agreement.

• Before entering public service, Austin Theriault, Republican challenger to Golden, drove for NASCAR and later moved into the business and management side of the sport. He currently serves as a Maine state representative, where he sits on the Leave of Absence and Transportation committees. Theriault expressed commitment to securing the U.S. border, opposing electric vehicle mandates, and returning manufacturing to American soil. Donald Trump endorsed Theriault in March, touting Theriault as the candidate to oppose what Trump characterized as Golden’s acquiescence with the far left in Congress. Trump also said Theriault would support border security and Second Amendment rights.

BALLOT MEASURES

Maine voters will see one citizen-initiated ballot measure in November.

• Maine’s Limit Contributions to Super PACs Initiative would put a $5,000 cap on the amount of money that can be donated each calendar year to political action committees that make independent expenditures.

Maine will also see four legislative-referred ballot measures in November: one referendum, and three bond issue approvals.

• The Maine State Flag Referendum would approve a new design for the state flag.

• The Maine Science and Technology Research and Commercialization Bond Issue would confer on the state treasurer the authority to issue bonds on Maine’s behalf up to a total $25 million to spur targeted technological innovation.

• The Maine Development and Maintenance of Trails Bond Issue would approve up to $30 million in bonds to develop Maine’s trail systems.

• The Maine Historic Community Buildings Bond Issue would approve the issuing of up to $10 million in bonds to restore historic buildings.

Dig deeper:

• Read Lauren Canterberry’s coverage of Trump-backed candidates, including Maine’s Austin Theriault.
• Read Steve West’s report on a Maine anti-discrimination law that denies tuition benefits to religious schools.

Visit the WORLD Election Center 2024 to follow our state-by-state coverage between now and November.